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Phantom Ranch, 2019 |
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Oct. 2019: Dave and Cindy return to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for 2 nights in a cabin at Phantom Ranch. This was Cindy's first time to the bottom after being away for 15 years largely due to failing knees. This was her 7th time overall to hike to Phantom Ranch and her 42nd hike below the rim. Cindy had full knee replacement surgery on both knees a year ago and it was a goal to get back into the Canyon. We were lucky enough to procure 2 nights in a cabin through the Phantom Ranch Lottery and had nearly a year to prepare for the trip. The weather was quite cold when starting down and ideal when coming back up. Our descent was via the scenic South Kaibab Trail and our ascent was the same route. We both prefer the South Kaibab vs. Bright Angel due to the better scenery, lesser crowds, and shorter miles (but more elevation change). Everything went great and, amazingly, thankfully, Cindy had no knee pain whatsoever. |